The joke around Detroit for many years was the Detroit Lions will never win anything as long as the Fords own the team.
What about a Hamp?
When Sheila Hamp dropped Ford from her name, magic began to happen for the Lions. They finished the season 9-8 and as one of the hottest teams in the NFL.
We’ve praised a lot of people for the turnaround. Coach Dan Campbell gets a lot of credit for changing the culture of the team. Kudos to General Manager Brad Holmes for selecting talented players who fit that culture.
Bravo to quarterback Jared Goff, who stopped being a turnover machine.
Here is someone who deserves flowers. Sheila Hamp.
For the first time in Lions history under the Fords, the team did not hire a buddy or somebody they liked to run the football operations. She compiled a search team. It included former linebacker Chris Spielman and running back Barry Sanders to launch a nationwide search to replace Bob Quinn.
This is when Campbell and Holmes came into the picture.
When the Lions kingdom was at its lowest point after a 1-5 start, Hamp told us all not to panic. She believed in the team that was in place.
“We believe we’re going to turn this thing around the right way, through the draft,” Hamp told reporters during a Lions workout. “It requires patience. It’s frustrating. Am I frustrated? Absolutely. Are you guys frustrated? I think we really are making progress We’re only one third of the way through the season. We’ve got 11 more to go, so I don’t want everyone to push the panic button and give up the ship because, I think we’ve got the right people in place to pull this off, and I truly believe that, and I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t believe it.”
I can say this for the first time in my life. I believe in Hamp. I believe in Lions ownership. I believe better days are ahead for the Lions.
Now wash my mouth out with soap.
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